Managed in cooperation with
South Florida Water Management District |
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South Florida Water management
District |
John G. and Susan H. DuPuis, Jr. WEA consists of nearly 22,000
acres in northwestern Palm Beach and southwestern Martin
counties and adjoins the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area
to the east. A visitor center is located at Gate 5 on SR 76.
This property was formerly the White Belt Ranch, a working
livestock ranch owned by the late John G. DuPuis. Once part of
the Everglades ecosystem, the hydrology of the area was altered
through drainage. The water management district has restored
portions of the land by rehydrating interior wetlands. Today,
two-thirds of the area is pinelands, and one-third is cypress
swamp and freshwater marsh. In the rainy season, the pine
flatwoods often contain standing water and portions of the roads
could be flooded. This is a no-cost quota hunt area, and deer,
hog, and turkey are plentiful. During hunting seasons, with the
exception of small game season, access to the area is open only
to quota hunt permit holders and through-hikers on the Ocean to
Lake Trail, an official side trail of the
Florida
National Scenic Trail. The 35 miles of hiking trails on the area include the
Ocean to Lake Trail, which traverses the width of the area, and 4
loops ranging from 5 to 15.6 miles. Parking for hikers is
located at the trailhead at Gate 2. An equestrian center at Gate
3 has horse barns, paddocks, campsites, restrooms with showers,
a dump station, and a trailhead marking the beginning of 40
miles of equestrian trails. The DuPuis Auto Tour winds 7.5
miles through a range of natural communities to the fishing pier
on Shell Lake. Camping is permitted at designated campgrounds as
well as at primitive campsites along the Ocean to Lake Trail and
biking is allowed on named roads.
Alligators,
river
otters,
feral hogs,
coyotes,
white-tailed deer, and
bald eagles are some of the wildlife that make their home on
this area. |
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